Big A opens under a cloud

Despite blue skies and brilliant sunshine, the spring meet at Aqueduct race track in South Ozone Park opened under a cloud as Albany officials attempt to find an operator for the proposed Racino there – and salvage the city’s bankrupt Off Track Betting Corporation (OTB.)
Racing fans, however, got a thrill on Saturday, April 3, as they witnessed three-year-old colt Eskendereya open a huge lead in the stretch to win the $750,000 Wood Memorial – and start the buzz about racing’s “Triple Crown” that begins with the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 1.
The entire tradition of rooting for a single horse to win the derby, the Preakness Stakes in Maryland two weeks later and the Belmont Stakes on the first Saturday in June was in jeopardy after the New York Racing Association (NYRA) said it could go broke on June 1 – closing Belmont before the June 5 race.
After a series of moves, including layoffs that saved some $1.4 million, NYRA is trying to stay afloat this year. President and CEO Charles Hayward said, “It is our hope to get through the Saratoga meet [that begins July 23] and go from there.”
On top of roughly $15 million owed by the city’s OTB, NYRA is suffering from the inability of the state to find an operator for a 4,500 Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) Aqueduct Racino – eight-and-a-half years after it was authorized by Albany.
That process seems no closer to resolution.
Governor David A. Paterson chose Delaware North in 2008, only to see them fail to come up with a promised $375 million by March 31, 2009.
He then advocated for Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG), which got the award on January 29 – only to be abandoned when the state’s Lottery Commission said it could not license two departed AEG partners.
Now, Paterson wants to reform and restart the entire process – in the hope he can name a winner selected by others before he leaves office on December 31.
Members of the Legislature – especially those from districts around Saratoga where racing is a main support of the local economy – want to pick from among the other four bidders and be done with it.